Maybe we've been lucky but the water on the 23rd switchback has been reliable each time I've gone. Forever more we will always fill up on the way to the summit. Learned our lesson one year when our group of seven did not top off and each of us ran out or ran very low and shared/rationed with each other while we were still on the way to the summit. I ended up sharing my water with one member directly from my Camelbak until I ran out too. Hiking behind him I see a glittering bottle of Gatorade in a mesh pocket on his pack and I point out to him "Hey, you have Gatorade!" and he replies, "I know, I just can't reach it." That speaks more of the loss of rational thinking at high altitude, but my real point is that I will always carry plenty of water to the summit and encourage my teammates to fill up too. Someone might really need it.
